It was raining centuries for South Africa when they clashed with Sri Lanka in the ODI World Cup match at the Arun Jaitley stadium in New Delhi on October 7, Saturday. Riding on blistering hundreds from Quinton De Kock, Rassie Van Der Dussen and Aiden Markram, South Africa equalled thier own record by notching up three ton in an ODI innings against Sri Lanka.
South Africa not only emulated their own record for the most hundreds in an ODI innings but also created history by being the first team to achieve this milestone in a World Cup game.
The run fest commenced with the dynamism of opener Quinton de Kock, who dazzled with a commanding century (100 off 84). Rassie van der Dussen, batting at number three, carried the torch forward by crafting his maiden World Cup century. He hammered a sensational 108 off 110. But the fireworks didn't end there. Aiden Markram then took center stage, producing a whirlwind 49-ball hundred. This wasn't just another century as it became the fastest hundred ever scored by any player in the ODI World Cup history.
South Africa's penchant for such historic innings isn't new. This remarkable team holds the distinction of being the only side to score three centuries in a single ODI innings, having showcased such brilliance twice before in 2015. Those instances were against formidable opponents like the West Indies and India, further underlining the Proteas' ability to rise to the occasion against top-tier teams.
While South Africa's latest achievement is undoubtedly noteworthy, another team that deserves a mention in this context is England. The English side is the only other team to have orchestrated an innings studded with three individual hundreds. Their record was set against the Netherlands in 2022, and that match was also significant for another reason. England managed to tally the highest-ever ODI total during that game, with a staggering 498/4 on the scoreboard.
Thanks to de Kock, Markram and van der Dussen's centuries, South Africa posted a colossal total of 428/5. With this South Africa set a new record for the highest total in an ODI World Cup.
On the other hand, Matheesha Patirana's 10-over spell, costing 95 runs, is now the costliest for a debutant in World Cup history. Furthermore, he ranks as the second-highest conceding Sri Lankan bowler in a World Cup match, with only Ashantha de Mel ahead of him, who gave away 97 runs against West Indies in Karachi during the 1987 World Cup.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Quinton De Kock goes past Kallis with spectacular century, achieves special feat with 204-run partnership with Rassie
South Africa post highest-ever total in the 48-year-old history of ODI World Cup
